Count This Cowboy In (23 page)

"
You've experienced a stampede?"

"
Several of them over the years.  So now when you say you want to protect me, I do understand what you're saying.  I wanted to protect you and your three men."

"
But Sam ––"

She stood as she said,
"Wait, please, let me finish.  I admit my thinking that I was safer than I was might have been off, but the point I'm trying to make here is that I felt I had to go to try to help.  I would have felt terrible if I didn't go and one or more of you were hurt because you were short handed.  So yes, I admit I didn't listen to you again and I will take a spanking if you feel I need one, but I need you to understand how I felt tonight.  And when you say you want to protect me, I think I understand better now how you feel."  That said, she dissolved into tears and he could see her trembling again.

Trevor took her in his arms and sat down, bringing her down on his lap.  He laid her head against his chest and rested his head on hers, while he made sure his arms were wrapped tightly around her. 
"Sshh, Honey, it's okay.  It's all right, Honey.  I understand how you felt tonight.  Thank you for telling me."  He held her until she calmed.

When she had, she quietly asked,
"Trevor?"

"
Yes, Sweetheart?"

"
Are you going to get your paddle?"

"
No.  Honey, I'm sorry.  I didn't know you had any idea how to handle a stampede and I about went crazy with worry.  That was wrong.  All I want to do tonight is hold you.  I want to cherish you.  I want to make sure you know how much I love you." 

"
But you're not going to use the paddle?"

"
No, Sweetie, I'm not.  I will probably still spank you, but it won't be with the paddle and it won't be tonight."

"
Tomorrow night?"

"
I honestly don't know.  I need to calm down and think this whole thing through.  I still think you need to learn to listen to me when I'm trying to keep you safe, but I understand why you went tonight. For right now, though, I know what I want."  He tightened his hold on her and kissed the top of her head.  "Unless you object?"

"
No, no, no objections here."  After a couple minutes of leaning against him, taking comfort from his arms around her, she quietly said, "Thank you.  I really need this tonight."

"
So do I.  I just didn't know how much."

They watched a movie together and then he walked her down to her
guesthouse and said good night.

On Sundays Sam usually fixed breakfast.  Sometimes Consuela ate with them and sometimes she
'd leave early and spend the day with a friend.  On this Sunday Consuela shared breakfast with them and heard all about last night's events.  With concern, she said, "Miss Sam, I didn't know you were that good on a horse or with a gun.  It is good you could go to help them.  Poor Grant must have been scared."

Trevor and Sam both were quiet for a while.  Consuela asked,
"What did I say wrong?"

Sam smiled and looked at Trevor. 
"You didn't say anything wrong, Consuela.  I'm glad you feel that way.  So do I.  Thank you."

Consuela didn
't understand what she said, but she saw Trevor's expression and knew he didn't feel the same way.  She wisely stayed quiet, watching them as they were both deep in thought.  She finished eating and said, "My friend will be here any minute.  You two have a good day."

As Trevor helped Sam do the dishes he said,
"I feel like going for a ride.  You interested?"

"
I'm very interested." 

He led her to the barn with his hand gently on her back
and she once again thought about how much she likes the little things like that that he did.

At the barn he put her saddle on Lady, like always.  While she started buckling it on he put his saddle on Thunder.  She said,
"You don't have to do that for me, you know, but thank you."

"
I know and you're welcome."

"
I'm capable of putting my own saddle on my horse."

"
I know you are.  I also know it's got to be easier for me to do it because I'm taller.  I'm working on this protective thing, you know.  You say I'm overprotective and to a degree I may be.  But that probably won't change much.  I may try to live with some things, like letting you go riding alone sometimes, especially now that I've seen how capable you are.  But I'll still be concerned while you're out there without me."

Sam looked over at her cowboy, surprised. 
"You have thought about this, haven't you?"

"
Of course I have.  I told you I would."

"
So does this mean you'll let me go riding alone sometimes?"

With a resigned shrug of his shoulders he said,
"As long as you follow my rules, yes, I will."  With a grin he added, "But not today."

"
Why not today?"

"
Because I want to go together today."

"
So do I," she said, returning his smile.

As they started out across the pasture he said,
"I want to talk to you today.  I've been doing a lot of thinking.  But as long as you'll agree to my rules, you can go riding alone when you want to."

"
Thank you.  What are the rules?"

"
You always tell me you're going before you go, not after you get back, for one."

"
Okay."

"
Tell me where you're going."

"
Why?"

"
So if your horse throws a shoe and you're not able to ride her back I have an idea which end of this ranch to start looking on."

"
Okay, that makes sense, too.  Anything else?"

"
You take a gun with you if you're going very far out."

"
Okay.  What else?"

"
You take a fully-charged phone with you."

"
Okay.  Anything else?"

"
No.  Mainly I want you to tell me before you go and listen if I say no."

"
Why would you say no?"

"
Mainly weather.  Storms come up quick around here and can bring flash floods, among other things.  If you do get caught out somewhere in a storm go to the nearest line shack and call me.  Do you understand?"

"
Yeah."

"
Okay.  That takes care of that.  There are two other things I want to talk to you about.  First, you want to do more around the ranch.  Do you still feel that way?"

"
Yes.  I miss doing things like I did at home."

"
After giving it a lot of thought I'm okay with trying some things, but I'd like to take it slow.  For starters I'd like to let you help do things when I'm there."

"
Okay, but are you going to let me do anything or will I basically be there to watch you do it all?  Don't get me wrong, I'd like that, too, but will I just be watching you?"

"
No.  For instance, I go out periodically to check the cattle in the far pastures.  I usually go personally and I take one or two hands with me.  You can be one of those hands."

"
What are you checking for; make sure the cattle all look okay, there's none injured or any carcasses around, like a cat or bear's been around?"

"
Yeah and check the fences.  I try to do a rough head count, make sure no one's been helping themselves to my cattle."

"
Okay, I can help with that.  What else?"

"
We'll just take it day by day.  But there is one thing."

"
What's that?"

"
The bookkeeping has to come first.  I really need you to do that.  I've proven I can't do it, or the ordering."

She laughed as she said,
"I understand completely.  I'll make sure it's all caught up before I go out on the ranch to do anything.  And thank you, Trevor, for letting me do more."

"
You're okay with starting slow?"

"
Yes, I am.  I'd like to do a bunch, but I understand your position.  I'm willing to take it slow.  It's meant the world to me just living on a ranch again."

He pulled his horse in and stopped by a pond.  Quickly dismounting, he helped Sam off and led the horses to a tree to tie them, giving them lots of room to graze.  He took her hand and led her down closer to the pond.  He sat down in a clearing nearby and pulled her down in front of him.  He pulled her close, her back next to his chest, with his arms around her waist. 

She laid her head back against his chest and sighed.  "This is wonderful, Trevor.  It's beautiful here and so peaceful.  I don't think I've ever seen this pond, have I?"

"
Probably not.  It's quite a ways from the barn.  Those woods right over on the other side of the pond are the edge of my land.  About half of the woods is mine and half is The Winding Creek's."

They sat for a while, both content just to be with each other.  Eventually she asked,
"Are there any fish in this pond?"

"
There used to be.  I used to come here fishing when I was a kid.  Why did you ask; do you fish?"

"
I love to fish, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm good at it."

"
Huh."

"
What?"

"
I didn't take you to be into fishing."

"
I love it.  Do you still fish?"

"
You know, that's a good question.  I haven't been in a long time, not since I took over the ranch."

"
We should go sometime."

"
Yes, we should," he said as he got up.  "And there's no time like the present."

"
What are you talking about?"

"
I used to keep fishing poles and tackle in this line shack right up here.  As a matter of fact, that's why we put this line shack here.  It's close to the pond.  We keep it stocked with canned foods, but if someone spends the night here they can go try and catch some fresh fish for supper if they want."

"
Good idea."

"
I thought so.  Let's see if the fishing poles are still here."

Fifteen minutes later they both had a line in the water and they talked while they fished.  They talked about fishing when they were both younger, about the pros and cons of him buying the neighboring ranch
and everything in between those two topics. 

An hour later, after they
'd each caught two fish and released them all, Trevor said, "Before we go back there is one other thing I want to talk to you about, Sam."

She could tell by how serious he
'd gotten that it was about last night.  She'd been waiting all day for this talk, knowing it would happen.  Now she just wanted to get it over with.  She assumed he was going to spank her for not listening to him again.  She was wondering if she'd rather he do it out here where no one was around that might overhear her screaming, or back at the house.  The only problem with doing it out here would be having to sit her saddle to get home.  As hard as his spankings were, she wasn't sure she could stand it.  Like he said, they were a long way from the barn.

His voice brought her back to the present. 
"Sam?"

She started, but looked over at him. 
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"
You were a million miles away.  Do you want to share your thoughts?"

She turned red as she admitted,
"Actually, I was wondering if you were going to spank me out here where we have privacy, or back home, where I wouldn't have to sit my saddle for a long, torturous ride back to the barn."

He smiled at her. 
"Which would you prefer?"

"
Neither."  After a sigh, she said, "But I'll live with your decision, whichever it is."

He took her fishing pole and helped her up.  They headed toward the line shack to put the poles back when he said,
"Thank you for that.  And I have made a decision.  You are going to be punished for not listening to me, yet again," he added looking at her directly, "but you're not going to be spanked."

"
I'm not?"

He put the poles back in the line shack as he said,
"No, you're not."

"
Then what?"

Looking at Sam, Trevor asked, "You said you understand now about me wanting to keep you safe, right?"